Adelaide proves itself as big-events venue during Australian Grand Prix party-time decade of excellence, 1985 to 1995
The Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide (1985-95) established its own character with a 3.7km circuit though city centre link streets and incorporating Victoria Park.
Adelaide hit the heights of motorsport racing as the host of the Australian Grand Prix for 10 years from 1985. In its first year, Adelaide won the F1 Race Promoters Trophy as the best-run Grand Prix that year.
From an idea by businessman Bill O’Gorman, backed by South Australian premier John Bannon and sealed in London in a deal with F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, the Grand Prix in Adelaide set new standards for the event.
Under senior civil servant Mal Hemmerling, the Adelaide event established its own character with a challenging, but popular, 3.7 kilometres street circuit incorporating Victoria Park and Dequetteville Terrace.
With the circuit being next to the city centre and the race as the last in the GP season, a party atmosphere took over Adelaide during the event. A social highlight was the $400-a-head Grand Prix Ball for drivers and fans, with national and international entertainers.
Among most memorable of the Adelaide races were:
• the first. with Brazilian Ayrton Senna (Lotus-Renault) battling with eventual winner, Finland’s Keke Rosberg (Williams-Honda).
• 1988: In the last race of the turbo era, Alain Prost won his seventh race of the season from new world champion Ayrton Senna and outgoing champion Nelson Piquet, giving Honda turbos all three podium spot.
* 1990: Senna led for 61 laps but crashed near Victoria Park because of gearbox problems. The race turned into a dead-heat sprint between Nelson Piquet (Bennetton-Ford) and Nigel Mansell (Ferrari).
* 1994: Michael Schumacher snatched the championship after an incident with rival Damon Hill. Nigel Mansell, 41, returning to F1 in place of the late Senna, became the oldest Grand Prix winner since Jack Brabham in 1970.
It all suddenly ended in 1995 when Melbourne grabbed the Grand Prix and moved it to Albert Park.